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Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Parties are no closer to an agreement

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, January 11, 2016) – A Fiji trade union leader says an International Labour Organisation Commission of Inquiry is more likely now that talks have stalled.

An ILO mission to review obstacles to a required joint implementation plan is due in Fiji this month.

Fiji failed to submit a plan after unions refused to sign, arguing that the government was infringing workers' rights.

The Fiji Trades Union Congress head Felix Anthony says progress had been made with Employment and Industrial Relations Minister Semi Koroilavesau, but he has now been replaced by Solicitor General Shavarda Sharma to lead negotiations.

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Assessment: cost of supplies to communities prohibitive

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, January 11, 2016) – The latest disaster assessments in Papua New Guinea have found the cost of getting food relief to drought stricken communities is prohibitive.

They recommend the prioritisation of relief to the estimated 800,000 people living in areas determined to be critically lacking in food.

At the same time a co-author of the compilation of 200 reports from government, NGOs, church organisations and inidividuals in drought- and frost-affected regions says immediate action is needed to alleviate ongoing suffering.

Mike Bourke says according to rough estimates, providing 120 days of food to one fifth of the affected population would cost well over 10 million US dollars.

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Caused by delayed federal budget process

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, January 11, 2016) – American Samoa's only hospital says it has cash flow problems because the government has failed to pay a half-a-million US-dollar subsidy.

The chief executive of the LBJ Hospital, Taufetee John Faumuina Junior, says it's caused by the delayed federal budget process.

He says the hospital has now delayed paying some allowances to employees, as well as to some service providers.

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Injunctions and "stalling" stem from legal precedent

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, January 11, 2016) – Loopholes in the court system is one reason why justice is not served to those who practice police brutality cases, says Police Commissioner Gari Baki.

"I regret to admit that some investigations (into police brutality cases) are stalled because members (of the Police Constabulary) implicated in these allegations have sought injunctions by using a Supreme Court ruling to delay or disrupt the investigations," he said.

Mr Baki said that this was made possible by a landmark case known as the Rabata versus The Office of the Police Commissioner court case.

"It was ruled that only commissioned officers with the rank of lnspector upwards were bestowed with powers to adjudicate these cases and as such all...

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Bid by PM to improve public cleanliness, boost tourism

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, January 11, 2016) – All public buses in Samoa will now have to carry rubbish bags, in a bid by the Prime Minister and the Tourism Authority to improve public cleanliness.

Speaking at the launch of a new tourism campaign last week, Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi said the initiative was prompted by complaints of the high levels of rubbish discarded by bus passengers and drivers.

The PM says that in order to keep their licence, all public bus drivers must have a rubbish bag on board their buses at all times.

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Police internal affairs tally from 2007 to 2014

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, January 11, 2016) – More than 1600 cases of police abuses were received by the police internal affairs directorate between 2007 and 2014.

Police Commissioner Gari Baki released these figures yesterday as he declared 2016 as the year to discipline his officers amid growing discontent by the public about police brutality. He said that of the 1600 cases, 326 were classified as criminal cases, implicating members of the constabulary.

During the same period, 134 demotions were activated, 417 monetary fines were imposed and 202 officers were exonerated because of lack of sufficient evidence to support the allegations.

Mr Baki said that in 2014 alone, 173 cases were investigated resulting in 20 officers charged and these matters...

Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawai‘i

Claims intervention to stop inquiry was not legal

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, January 11, 2016) – Fiji's opposition whip says he will try and get a parliamentary committee to again look into allegations of torture by security forces.

n December, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs tried to investigate allegations raised by lawyer Aman Ravindra-Singh, who represents dozens of people accused of sedition.

But as the committee got underway, the chairman received a phone call from the attorney general, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, who advised that the meeting should be called off.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the committee's members were not qualified to investigate, and that he had acted within his rights to intervene.

But the opposition whip and committee member, Ratu Isoa Tikoca, says he has...

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.